Self-regulating oil-cup.



'Nef 753,859. PATENTED MARQs, 1904;.

M. cRow`THBR- SELF REGULATING oIL CUP.

APrLIoAT'Ion FILED n! 27, 190s.

l0 IODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented March 8,1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

SELF-REGULATING. OIL-CUP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,859, dated March 8,1904.

p Application filed May 27, 1903. Serial No. 158,958. (No modeL) To allwhom t moby concern:

- citizen of the United States-residing in the borough of West Pittston,county of Luzerne, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Y newand useful Improvements lin Self-Regulating Oil-Cups, of which thefollowing is a speciiication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a central verticalsectional view of the complete cup; Fig. 2, a side elevation of theautomatic valve device removed from the oil-cup, and Fig. 3 a detailtransverse sectional view of the feed-valve.

The main object of this invention is to p rovide an improved lubricatingdevice which will be governed in its operation by the temperature of thejournal to which it is to supply oil,the feed-valve thereof being somounted as to respond positively to every slight eX- pansion orcontraction of a thermostatic Inedium,which is in a position to beaffected by the temperature of the journal.

' Y Other important objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates an oilreservoir or cup, which may be of brass or glass, as desired. To theupper end of this reservoir is screwed the top 2, which is formed with afilling-opening, said opening being provided with a cover 3. To thelower'end of this reservoir is screwed the bottom 4, which isprovidedwith the central depending tubular part 5, a wrench-receivingpart 6 being formed at the lower end thereof. A reduced threadedextension 7 is formed below the wrench part 6, which is adapted toengage a correspondingly-threaded opening in the bearing to which thelubricator is to be attached.

Screwed centrally into the bottom 4 and eX- tending up into theoil-reservoir is a valvetube 9, whose lower end is inwardly anddownwardly tapered and extends into a glass tube 10, fitted in thetubular `part 5 of the bottom. Transverse apertures 11 are formedthrough the part 5, so that the lower end of the valvetube may beobserved through the glass tube Secured to the valve-tube 9 a shortdistance the valve tube.

Vvalve-tube.

above the bottom of the oil-reservoir is a cylinder 12, said cylinderbeing larger in diameter than the valve-tube, so that an annular chamberwill be formed between the upper end of the valve-tube and the lower endof the cylinder. This cylinder is enlarged at its lower end, as at 13,to receive a supply of mercury or other thermostatic fluid or medium.Snugly fitting the interior of this cylinder 12 and adapted to extenddown intothe annular space between it and the upper end of thevalve-tube is a tubular piston 14, whose upper end is closed, saidclosed end in the normal position of the piston-that is, when the valveis closed-resting on the upper end of To the lower end of this piston issecured a packing-ring 14, said packing-ring resting directly upon thether- Inostatic medium contained in the cylinder. Connected to the upperwall of the piston is a depending screw-rod 15, which extends centrallythrough the valve-tube and is connected at its lower end' to the valve16. This valve is formed with the cylindric upper portion, which snuglyfits Within the valve-tube, and with the tapered lower part, whichcorresponds to the tapered lower portion of the In the valve-tube belowthe cylinder 12 are formed inlet-ports 9, through which the oil willpassfrom the oil-reservoir when the valve is raised. Within the cylinder 12,its lower end resting on the top of the piston 14, its upper end beingconfined within the cylinder by means of a screw-cap 18, is acoil-spring 17, which normallyholds the piston against the valve-tubeand maintains the valve 16 closed. It will be noted that the valve 16 iscylindrical from its upper end to a point just below the lower edges ofthe ports 9a and that from this latter point it tapers inwardly' anddownwardly. It is obvioustherefore that when said valve isV raisedslightly the tapered part thereof will 4be opposite the ports 9. andpermit oilto pass ydown through the valve-tube. By means of thescrew-rod 15, which is threaded through the piston 14, the

valve 16 maybe nicely adjusted tovclose the ports 9a when the piston isat rest on the upper vend of the tube. If desired, this screwrod' may beextended tothe top of the oil-cup IOO fluid in the enlarged part 13 ofthe cylinder l2, said expansion lifting the piston 14, and therebyopening the valve. As soon as sufficient oil has been supplied to thejournal to reduce the heat thereof the thermostatic iiuid will graduallylose its heat and will contract, permitting the spring 17 to force thevalve to its seat, thereby shutting off the supply of oil.

' It will be noted that the thermostatic fluid is disposed in an annularchamber which is concentric to the axial line of the valve and thattherefore the force of its expansion will be exerted to lift the valvedirectly, and there will be no tendency of the piston or the valve tobind. This is clearly advantageous, as lubricators of this class must beso mounted as to respond quickly and positively to the variations in theexpansion and the contraction of the thermostatic Huid.

It will be noted that the valve mechanism is complete in itself and isindependent of the oil-cup, being attached thereto only at the pointwhere it is screwed into the bottom thereof. It is therefore manifestthat this valve device may be attached to any oil-cup now in use bymerely threading it into the bottom thereof, it being entirelyunnecessary to employ a specially-constructed oil-cup. It will of coursebe understood that the cylinder l2 may be of glass, if desired, in orderthat the position of the piston may be observed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isd t l. A lubricator comprising, an oil-cup,a thermostatic valve device secured therein and consisting of avalve-tube, a valve therein, a cylinder secured to said valve-tube andsurrounding the upper portion thereof whereby an annular chamber isformed between the tube and the cylinder, a valve in said tube, a pistonin the cylinder, means for connecting the valve to the piston, athermostatic medium in the cylinder below the piston whereby the pistonwill be raised when the thermostatic medium is expanded, and a spring toreturn the piston to its normal position when the thermostatic mediumcontracts.

2. A valve device for an automatic lubricator comprising, a valve-tubeadapted to be secured to the bottom of an oil-cup, inletports formedtherein, a cylinder secured to said tube above the ports, said cylindersurrounding the valve-tube whereby an annular space is formed betweenthe tube and the cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a thermostaticmedium contained in the cylinder below the piston, a valve in thevalve-tube, said valve normally closing the ports in said tube, meansfor connecting the valve to the piston whereby the valve will be liftedwhen the thermostatic medium expands, and a spring in the cylinder toreturn the valve to its closed position when the thermostatic mediumc'ontracts. I

3. A valve device for an automatic lubricator comprising, a valve-tubeadapted to be secured to the bottom of an oil-cup, inletports formedtherein, a cylinder secured to said tube above the ports, said cylinderbeing enlarged at its lower end and surrounding the valve-tube wherebyan annular space is formed between the said tube and the cylinder,apiston in said cylinder above the enlarged part and extending down intothe annular space between the tube and the cylinder, a thermostaticmedium containedv in the cylinder below the piston, a valve in thevalve-tube, said valve normally closing the ports in said tube, meansfor connecting the valve to the piston whereby the valve will be liftedwhen the thcrmostatic medium expands, and a spring in the cylinder abovethe piston to return the valve to its closed position when thethermostatic medium contracts.

4t. A valve device for an automatic lubricator comprising', avalve-tube, avalve therein, a thermostatic Huid-chamber surrounding saidValvetube, a movable device in said chamber and surrounding thevalve-tube, and means connecting the valve centrally to the movabledevice, whereby the expansion of the thermostatic fluid will cause adirect longitudinal pull on the valve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 25th day of May, 1903.

MATTHIAS CROVVTHER.

Witnesses:

W. F. STALEY, JAMES R. EHRET.

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